Facing an interview is one of the most interesting and challenging aspects of a job search. In about half an hour’s time, you have to convince the recruiter on your key skills, strengths, experiences and how you can be useful to the organization. Apart from job related questions, you may also need to answer questions about yourself. Your ability to answer these questions within the available time will help the employer assess your employability and suitability to the organization.

The best way to approach these questions is to prepare for them in advance so that you can answer confidently, without taking up too much time. Some of the generic questions that you may face in an interview are listed below:

Tell me about yourself: Be prepared with information on your education, accomplishments, work experience etc. Make sure to tell them about your background and how you have worked towards fulfilling your aspirations. But, do not go overboard, and try to keep your answer limited to about two to three minutes. (Read more: So, why don’t you tell me about yourself?)

What do you know about our organization?: Do some research on the company background. Make sure that you know about their products, services and important people in the organization. Your answer to this question will show that you are interested in the job and have done your homework well.

What are your key strengths?: Do some research around the profile you are being interviewed for. List the skills and key strengths required to perform the job efficiently and then identify how your strong points map to the required job skills. Talk about at least three points that you think are the most important.

What are your weaknesses?: Do not talk about more than one or two weak points. Instead, talk about them in a manner that they look like positives. For example, tell them that you are an impatient person when it comes to winding up work, so when you see a person not being able to complete work on time, you decide to complete it yourself. (Read more: What is your weakness)

Why do you want to leave your current organization?: This is a tricky question and the answer will give your employer a lot of information about your personality and attitude towards work. The employers generally ask this question to understand if you are a reliable person or a perpetual job-hopper. Answer it by talking about the new challenges, learning and the opportunities that you see for yourself in the new organization. Do not talk negative about your current organization. It raises suspicion in the minds of the employers about your reliability. (Read more: Why did you leave your last job?)

A small window of interview with the employer can get you an edge over the others. Prepare yourself thoroughly and do not forget to wear your smile and attitude to make an everlasting impression. (Also read: 15 ways to win at job interviews)

It is almost a ritual to be asked of any questions and query one might have to get on with the job offer. And mostly, we end up asking generic questions that don’t really matter, neither to work nor to convert the offer. Relevance, here, is the key.
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